I admit I know nothing about what Walt wanted, but I don't care what he wanted. I love WDW for MY reasons, and I don't see anything making me not want to go back. So, OP, if it bothers you, are you planning on not vsiting again? The pp's have pointed out, WDW is full of sponsored products and if it never seemed to bother you before, why all of a sudden does Starbucks dim your magical outlook.

And yes Walt was a business man, and even though I didn't know him, I'm pretty sure he wanted to make money

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Walt Disney was ALL about corporate sponsorships. Look at a lineup of Disneyland attractions and restaurants from when it opened. It reads like a business convention. You'll see Starkist Tuna, Carnation and Monsanto, to name only a few.

And the beloved Dole Whip that is so closely associated with Disney by so many? It's an outside invention by a non-Disney corporation, no different at all than Starbucks.

Yep! I'm pretty sure Walt didn't just do things for the heck of it and not expect to make money.

If that were the case, he wouldn't have very carefully acquired the land in Florida under assumed names as to not jack the prices of land up! True he had a vision and he stuck with it even if others might not quite have gotten it at first but that usually happens with any big venture. If Disney wasn't a business to start with, Walt would have opened the park and not charged admission but asked for donations to help keep it running, created it as a non-profit, etc....

Even as much as I love going there and escaping reality -- I know in reality, it's a BUSINESS and they want to make as much of a profit as they can.

I don't drink coffee so I don't really care -- the running joke is I'm a Pepsi person though and UGH....Disney is a Coke product world...which DH likes (so that was a selling point to get him to go as he doesn't like Disney. ). Now my DD is a huge Starbuck's fan, so I'm sure this will make her day.

I'm not anti starbucks, I'm not anti coporation sponsorship. I just think that you should at least attempt to have some creative control over how that sponorship is developed. I think it's more of a nostalgia thing for me. My magic has dimmed a lot simply because I just don't see the "imagination" being developed. Basically IMO disney is simply rehasing old ideas.

One thing that makes me want to cry is the DTD area. It's a waste land pure and simple. pleasure island is simply a dump, there is no other way to describe it. empty warehouses, sound echoing as you walk through and the only thing they could think to add is a glorified bowling alley? really?

Test track upgrade is meh, I simply can't believe that this is the best that imagineers can do and don't even get me started on Captain EO. It was lame 30 years ago when it first came out.

New bakery in france. No detailing, nothing. you basically walk through a gift shop to stand in a cafeteria style cue. Use to be a time when you could at least pretend to be sitting in a Parisian cafe. Come on disney, your supposed to be the leaders in imagination. I've seen better stuff from kindergardeners.

So my concern is that this new starbucks is going to look exactly like the one in Philly, which looks like the one in Washington, which looks like the one in Seattle. Ooooh how original. If that's the case why close the old one. why not simply start selling the coffee and stick a mermaid in the window.

and to add: I was in the parks last week for spring break, could not find my cinnamon roll any where so that was sad. I was told there were in the new fantasy land but I couldn't find them in Gastons tavern or any where. boo-hoo.

I'm not anti starbucks, I'm not anti coporation sponsorship. I just think that you should at least attempt to have some creative control over how that sponorship is developed. I think it's more of a nostalgia thing for me. My magic has dimmed a lot simply because I just don't see the "imagination" being developed. Basically IMO disney is simply rehasing old ideas.

One thing that makes me want to cry is the DTD area. It's a waste land pure and simple. pleasure island is simply a dump, there is no other way to describe it. empty warehouses, sound echoing as you walk through and the only thing they could think to add is a glorified bowling alley? really?

Test track upgrade is meh, I simply can't believe that this is the best that imagineers can do and don't even get me started on Captain EO. It was lame 30 years ago when it first came out.

New bakery in france. No detailing, nothing. you basically walk through a gift shop to stand in a cafeteria style cue. Use to be a time when you could at least pretend to be sitting in a Parisian cafe. Come on disney, your supposed to be the leaders in imagination. I've seen better stuff from kindergardeners.
So my concern is that this new starbucks is going to look exactly like the one in Philly, which looks like the one in Washington, which looks like the one in Seattle. Ooooh how original. If that's the case why close the old one. why not simply start selling the coffee and stick a mermaid in the window.

and to add: I was in the parks last week for spring break, could not find my cinnamon roll any where so that was sad. I was told there were in the new fantasy land but I couldn't find them in Gastons tavern or any where. boo-hoo.

I don't believe the OP ever went to WDW in the 1970s. If there's one thing Disney has done from day one, it's jump into bed with whatever corporation was willing to foot the bill. There used to be an entire attraction that was an advertisement for an airline. Many attractions and eateries are and always have been "sponsored." Walt Disney was in the business of making money. I have no doubt he would have been wooing Starbucks like crazy because it's successful.

I think the posts about how pure and wholesome and not interested in the bottom line Walt was are some of the silliest that show up on the Dis Boards. How can people be that naive?

The Starbucks in DCA looks nothing like a regular Starbucks and the artist renderings for Main Street Bakery looks nothing like a regular Starbuck's.

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If I'm not mistaken this is the 3rd "announcement". what happen with Imperial wharf or whatever that was?

I crack up how they say "unique and distinctive" shops!!! Oh yeah, that big world of disney that carries the same stuff that is in the shops on Main street, which is the same stuff that they had at Saratoga springs (and I mean the exact same items) which were the same dish towels I found at the gift shop across from Ihop at the cross roads. and then the next sentence, they are going to "incoporate" some iconic brands. Translation: chain restaurants to compete with the chains they have 2 miles away. lol. how innovative, how imaginative. TGIfridays at DTD.

Now I've never seen the starbucks at DCA so I'll take your word for it and I'm happy to hear that it's charming but from the uninspiring updating that I saw just 2 weeks ago? I am not impressed and I've seen too many artist renditions that never come to fruition.

If Walt Disney was concerned about his vision being subverted, he could have chosen not to take the company public.

I don't think Disney, the company, has any more responsibility to hew to Walt's vision than Ford does to, say, only produce its cars in black. Times change and businesses have responsibilities to their shareholders. Certainly if the CEO, upper management and Board of Directors felt these changes were not going to make more money they would not implement them. However, as officers of a publicly traded company, they have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the shareholders.

Clearly their decisions have been good ones, from a financial standpoint -- even as they raise admission and reduce promotional deals, the parks and hotels remain packed. Bravo to them.

I'm amused by these "Walt wouldn't approve" threads. How in the world does anyone know what Walt would approve or disapprove? Walt also said that Disneyland was not a museum and would never be completed. He might be the first in line at any new attraction, restuarant or even at Avatarland.

question, along with the starbucks coffee are we going to get those horrible starbucks pasteries?

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Unfortunately, we are. That is the problem I have with this. It isn't just the coffee, it is the entire menu. Most of the wonderful pastries/food that we are used to from the Main Street Bakery will go away or be sold elsewhere on property.

I wonder if the Disney folks will still be pumping out the original bakery smell to trick us into going into the bakery, but alas, when we get inside, it is the awful Starbucks food.

I have no desire to drink coffee of any brand when its 90 degress with matching humidity.

This is a lot different than "featuring" Edy's ice cream or Stouffers mac and cheese, etc.

I'd just like to point out that while Walt may have not been much of a "business man" - more of a dreamer and an innovator - Roy was. And without Roy Disney, there would be no Disneyland. Heck, without Roy Disney, there would have never been a Disney Studios. Walt went bankrupt before Roy. He needed Roy's logic and business knowledge in order to accomplish his creative visions.

It's also important to realize that Walt enjoyed progress. Just because something worked back in the 50s doesn't mean that it is logical today.

Also, Walt did rely a lot on other companies in order to make his dream a reality. As others have mentioned, he relied on corporate sponsorships in order to fund the construction of Disneyland. He made an agreement with ABC, making the company a major investor, and also gaining publicity for the opening of the park. It was commercial. But it was smart.

Walt didn't work because he wanted money. He wanted money so that he could put it back into his work. How do you think the Walt Disney Corporation funded the construction of New Fantasyland? Cars Land? And there are more projects on the board.

Has Disney had to compromise some of its original values in order to keep up with todays corporations? Of course. But I think that the values that they choose to maintain are the ones that set them apart from other businesses - high quality customer service and detailed attractions that make the Disney Parks an experience rather than just a destination.

Unfortunately, we are. That is the problem I have with this. It isn't just the coffee, it is the entire menu. Most of the wonderful pastries/food that we are used to from the Main Street Bakery will go away or be sold elsewhere on property.

I wonder if the Disney folks will still be pumping out the original bakery smell to trick us into going into the bakery, but alas, when we get inside, it is the awful Starbucks food.

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Actually, according to the Disney Parks Blog, they will still sell the classic Disney pastries.

Unfortunately, we are. That is the problem I have with this. It isn't just the coffee, it is the entire menu. Most of the wonderful pastries/food that we are used to from the Main Street Bakery will go away or be sold elsewhere on property.

I wonder if the Disney folks will still be pumping out the original bakery smell to trick us into going into the bakery, but alas, when we get inside, it is the awful Starbucks food.

I have no desire to drink coffee of any brand when its 90 degress with matching humidity.

This is a lot different than "featuring" Edy's ice cream or Stouffers mac and cheese, etc.

I agree too that Disney has always used corportate sponsorship, so it doesn't bother me much. What I do miss however is when Mainstreet was not one big gift shop, and instead had the old arcade, magic shop, etc...

I can still deal with it however, because it's still Disney and I love it no matter what!